My week began like any other vacation week. I had the week off from my work at the New York Philharmonic, and I had no urgent plans. Walk the dog, organize the papers piling up on my desk, practice my music, enjoy some time with my wife and hang out with friends--basically, I just wanted to enjoy my free days.

But during my break, I received an email from a gentleman named John Mackey. He had viewed one of my videos and was writing to ask permission to post a link to it on his FaceBook page. The video was titled “Trombone Silliness,” which was created and posted in June of 2011 on my website, davidfinlayson.com. He thought that it was very funny and that it deserved a wider audience.

That was when my week took a different direction.

What I now know, is that as soon as he posted the link on Facebook, awareness of “Trombone Silliness" spread rapidly across the Internet. The initial post on Facebook was shared 25 times in the first nineteen minutes and was catching fire very quickly on social media sites.

The Making of "Trombone Silliness"

The idea for the video emerged from my experience with GoPro action cameras, which I have used making home movies, driving in the car, recording my travels, and riding my bicycle around New York City. The video quality is wonderful, but I wanted to find a way to improve the audio quality of the videos.

I decided to try replacing the GoPro’s audio with a recording of higher quality, which I would capture using an external recording device. This idea was nothing new. A GoPro camera attached to the slide of my trombone, while I played, would be just the thing to test whether this new setup would work.

Because of the additional weight of the camera on my slide, I had to play something slow and easy. I chose from memory an etude from a Bordogni collection of vocalises. After once through the music, I popped the files in the computer and, with some careful editing, blended the better audio with the video.

The whole project took me about 45 minutes to record and edit. I put the file on my cell phone and shared it with my colleagues the next day. The video got a few laughs, and some people suggested that I put it up on my website for all to view. The video sat there ever since, in a relatively cold, dark corner of the Internet, ignored for over a year and a half.

The Email Avalanche and The Mistery YouTube Posting

I began getting emails from friends, colleagues and strangers that they loved the video, thanking me for the laughs it gave them. But one email I received got my attention, and it marked the beginning of a chain events that I am still trying to understand.

The email’s sender claimed that he represented major news organizations in helping them control the use of proprietary video content on the Internet. In the email, he offered his company’s services to control unauthorized use of my video, and proposed the possibility of my making a few dollars off its broadcast on YouTube. He added that he would collect a percentage of the video’s advertising revenue.

I responded to him that I was not interested in making any money off the video and that I certainly did not want to contribute to the proliferation of ads on sites like YouTube. My video was just fine where it was, at home, on my own website. At least, that is where I thought is was.

The next email that I opened was from John Mackey informing me that his original post had 8,246 “shares” with 687 comments, that Huffington Post had recorded 70,000 views in 8 minutes, and that it appeared as if someone had pirated my video and posted it on YouTube. He wrote that the pirated video had received more than a million views in just one day.

As soon as I read that, I checked YouTube for the video, but it had already been pulled, and viewers were getting the notice, “This Video Has Been Removed By The User.” My personal email account began to fill up with emails inquiring why the video had been removed from YouTube. Users on sites like Reddit and Gawker had posted articles about the video and the link to the unauthorized YouTube version.

The Rachel Maddow Show "The Best New Thing In The World" Segment

In hopes of stemming the tide of emails (well over a hundred) inquiring about the location of the first posting on YouTube, I decided to place my video on YouTube, with no ads attached. MSNBC, ABC.COM, The Rachel Maddow Show, RightThisMinute.com, WQXR, CNN's Distraction Channel on YouTube, NBC's "Good Morning Averica", as well as foreign news agencies were contacting me, requesting permission to use the video for their news programs and sites. A Tweet from the "Myth Busters" Adam Savage (1/6/2013 post) also helped to fan the fires of my silliness. I received an invitation to participate in a music festival in Spain, and a commercial venture in Greece requested use of the video. Social media references to the video abounded on sites like Twitter and Tumbler. The last time I checked, a Google search for “Trombone Silliness” produced results more than 50 pages deep. It was indeed a busy 48 hours for "Trombone Silliness."

The Fever Finally Breaks

At the time of this writing, the video posted by me on YouTube has just surpassed 100,000 views in roughly 6 days and most of the comments have been favorable. The emails have slowed and it is unlikely that my YouTube posting will reach anything close to its initial one million plus views. However, traffic to the video on my personal website continues to increase and is inching toward 500,000 hits.

Above, an article written showing one of the last places that the unauthorized video could be viewed on YouTube before it was removed. My posting was not made until January 8th.

I still don’t know exactly who the person was who posted the unauthorized version of “Trombone Silliness” on YouTube. I probably never will. Should I really care? People have suggested that I should have YouTube look into the situation and file a complaint. YouTube has very strict rules for the uploading of unauthorized copyrighted material.

On the positive side, friends that I have not heard from for decades have contacted me, and I have answered numerous emails from perfect strangers who share my love of music and something silly. I’ve enjoyed knowing that the video has made many people, perhaps millions, laugh, and I hope that it continues to do so amid these difficult times when the news offers us so little to smile about.

January 26, 2011

American Pakistan Foundation is dedicated to expanding education, healthcare, infrastructure and entrepreneurship opportunities to the under-privileged people of Pakistan. Learn more atwww.americanpakistan.org.

The January 31 concert will be introduced by

Dr. Nafis Sadik,Chairperson, APF & Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for HIV/AIDS in Asia & the Pacific

To see a real-time tapestry of Pakistan flood-related information, visitwww.ontheground.pk

Dear George,

I'm writing to you today to tell you more about how Music for Life International's next humanitarian concert, Beethoven for the Indus Valley, came to be. Our previous humanitarian concertshave not only brought together many of the world's preeminent musicians, but have also connected us with some of the most compassionate and influential organizations on the front lines of social change.

We are proud to announce Acumen Fund, and its Founder and CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz as the beneficiary of Beethoven for the Indus Valley. Acumen Fund, a non-profit venture fund, has been investing in Pakistan since 2002, and established its local office in 2006. It has invested more than $11 million in organizations that are breaking new ground and is the largest and most recognized social investor in Pakistan, helping shape the conversation around how to focus on sustainable change.

We are also pleased to announce a new co-presenter for Beethoven for the Indus Valley, American Pakistan Foundation. Visit www.americanpakistan.org to learn more about their services for the underprivileged people of Pakistan.

Finally, I urge you to spend five minutes viewing this videofeaturing photographs from Jacqueline Novogratz's trip to the flood zones in October 2010. In Jacqueline's own words, "These facesare the best possible answer to the insane indifference so much of the world has shown in response to this crisis, which by any objective measure is one of the worst of this century."

Acumen Fund

Beneficiary, Beethoven for the Indus Valley

Acumen Fund is a pioneering not-for-profit venture fund that is changing how the world addresses poverty.Acumen Fund invests patient capital in businesses that deliver critical, affordable goods and services to the world's poor, improving the lives of millions. Since 2002, Acumen Fund has invested more than $11 million in Pakistan. Acumen Fund's Pakistan portfolio includes investments in affordable housing, drinking water solutions, health insurance and agriculture.

Acumen Fund invests in innovative entrepreneurs who are change agents and is the largest and most recognized social investor in Pakistan, helping shape the conversation around how to focus on sustainable change. Acumen Fund has a strong and growing local community of supporters-partners, advisors and others who share its values and support the organization in realizing its vision of providing choice, not charity and dignity, not dependence.

Acumen Fund's long-term vision is that one day, every human being will have access to the critical goods and services they need to make choices for themselves and pursue lives of greater purpose. Acumen Fund imagines a future where policymakers, governments, aid organizations, and corporations work in tandem to redefine the way the world addresses poverty.

Jacqueline Novogratz

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Acumen Fund

Jacqueline is a frequent visitor to Pakistan, often making several trips a year. She last visited Pakistan in September 2010 after the floods to understand the devastating impact and wrote about her experience, sharing individual stories from survivors and highlighting the incredible relief efforts being undertaken by many in the Acumen Fund community. She was recently named toForeign Policy's list of Top 100 Global Thinkers and Daily Beast's25 Smartest People of the Decade. Jacqueline is a frequent speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative and TED. As a contributor to Huffington Post, Jacqueline has written about the need to build communities in Pakistan.

Click to see Jacqueline's presentation from TEDxKarachi in April 2010.

"When TED's Chris Anderson and I returned last week from our visit to Pakistan's flood zones, we couldn't get out of our heads the faces of the people we'd seen. They comprised the true treasure of Pakistan, the unlimited potential of what it means to be human, stuck in tent villages with no belongings and an uncertain future.

We wanted to spread the word about what we'd seen, so we wrote to one of our heroes, Peter Gabriel, and he generously agreed to let us use an unforgettable song of his as the soundtrack to a video that will show you the people we met.

We were astounded by the grace and dignity of so many who have lost all of their belongings, yet have the courage to move through another day, every day. Please stop what you're doing for 5 minutes, take a deep breath, and watch this video. And then share it widely. The world needs you more than ever. Thanks."

-Jacqueline Novogratz

Founder and CEO, Acumen Fund

I hope this video compels you, as it has me, to do what you can to help our fellow human beings endure this crisis. Take a moment today to buy tickets to the concert on January 31, make a donation to Acumen Fund if you cannot attend the concert, andspread the word within your own community about what we can do to help.

May 15, 2010

I have always enjoyed playing John's music and find so much of it frightfully challenging. To learn more about this uniquely original composer, browse your way to his website John Adams. Don't miss his blog submission regarding audiences that bolt for the doors at the end of concerts: Speedy exit ramp for patrons. It's a hoot!!

Felix Mendelssohn (Bartholdy) is regarded as the 19th Century equivalent of Mozart. Phenomenally gifted from childhood, his magical “Midsummer's Night Dream” vaulted the 17-year-old to the forefront of German composers. The “Wedding March” from this work has become a traditional part of marriage ceremonies, earning Mendelssohn a permanent place in popular culture. This year marks his 200th birthday, and European orchestras are celebrating the works of this musical genius with exceptional concerts and music festivals.

Vancouver Symphony violist, historian, and popular tour host, Angela Schneider, has prepared a specialized tour for music and culture enthusiasts incorporating some of the cities Mendelssohn called home, plus attendance at eight concerts featuring Europe’s most distinguished orchestras. The 16-day tour starts in Hamburg, where Felix Mendelssohn was born, the grandson of a Jewish rabbi and philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn. Hamburg was already a prosperous port city in Mendelssohn’s day and this heritage is evident in the traditional red-brick warehouses with neo-Gothic gables and green copper roofs standing along side the modern shipping houses . Germany’s second largest city is also home to the prestigious Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, which will be giving a memorable anniversary concert coinciding with the tour.

The second stop is Berlin where the Mendelssohn family moved when Felix was seven. It was here, in Germany’s artistic and cultural centre, that he started his serious studies in piano and composition. Berlin hosts 150 theaters, 8 symphony orchestras and approximately 170 museums, making it a veritable paradise for music and culture buffs. A feature event will be a performance by the world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

At the age of 26, Mendelssohn moved to Leipzig – where the tour follows him - becoming conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. He revived interest in the music of J.S. Bach, who had been cantor of St.Thomas Church in Leipzig a century before, and pioneered the first complete collection of Bach’s works. The “Mendelssohn Festival 2009” will be an extended version of the annual event, with international classical music stars coming together to pay tribute to this iconic composer.

After stopping in the exquisitely restored city of Dresden to sightsee and attend a performance by the historic Dresden Staatskapelle, the tour continues to captivating Prague. There are numerous historic landmarks and fascinating architecture to explore during the day while in the evening guests attend performances at one of the most important classical music events in Eastern Europe – the Prague Autumn International Music Festival. The tour concludes in Vienna, long the musical and cultural heart of Europe, where virtually every significant composer, from Mozart to Mahler, lived and worked. An evening at the magnificent Vienna State Opera is a highlight of the tour. Attending all the musical performances can only be enhanced by the knowledge of your tour leader, offering all guests an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience.

For more information or to request a Brochure please contact Great Expeditions at 604-257-2040 or toll-free at 1-800-663-3364. Tour details are at http://www.greatexpeditions.com

January 09, 2009

On Monday, January 12th, I will be performing in Carnegie Hall with many of my colleagues from New York and other cities to help raise money and bring greater attention to the global AIDS crisis.

Below, you will find an appeal that can be forwarded to friends, family and other contacts. Simply copy and paste it into an email.

Thank you for your support of this wonderful cause.

Dear Friends,

On Monday, January 12, 2009, Carnegie Hall will be the site of an historic event: mahler for the children of AIDS, a global humanitarian concert of MAHLER'S THIRD SYMPHONY to raise funds and promote public awareness for global pediatric AIDS and the PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD-TRANSMISSION OF HIV.

I find this cause so compelling that I am reaching out to my friends, family, colleagues and making a personal commitment. I invite you to help make this important event a success by purchasing tickets; inviting your friends and encouraging ticket sales via Facebook; make a donation of $5, $10, $50, $100 or more to the cause; and pass the concert on to family and friends. Imagine the impact if 100,000 people were to donate $5 each! Click here to donate now - http://support.cmmb.org/mahler Links to all of these opportunities are listed at the end of the letter.

mahler for the children of AIDS

will feature a performance of Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony. It will bring together many of the world finest principal orchestral musicians, all of whom are donating their artistry and energies, from the New York Philharmonic, The MET Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, some forty other orchestras and ensembles, and a chorus of women and children assembled from the Dessoff Symphonic Choirs and the Children's Choirs of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and St. Ignatius Loyola as well as the great American Mezzo-soprano, Susanne Mentzer.

Glenn Dicterow, beloved concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic will serve as concertmaster. Joseph Alessi, legendary principal Trombone of the the New York Philharmonic will be the trombone soloist and Matthew Muckey, the brilliant young Associate Principal Trumpet of the New York Philarmonic will be the Posthorn soloist. The concert will be conducted by Indian conductor, George Mathew, who has produced two previous humanitarian concerts: Beethoven's Ninth for South Asia and Requiem for Darfur(www.requiemfordarfur.org ).

Today, every minute of every day, a child under the age of 15 dies of AIDS-related illnesses and there are approximately 15 million AIDS orphans around the globe. The beneficiary of the evening will be CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) a leader in meeting the challenges of HIV and AIDS around the world, and a registered 501 C 3 non-profit organization.

Please say "yes". Your leadership and generous participation will ensure the success of the event.

The Return of the Fund-Raising Philharmonic Supergroup! As of today there are 10 concertmasters, 3 principal oboists and 3 principal percussionists signed up to play in Mahler for the Children of AIDSwww.MAHLERFORTHECHILDREN.ORG

December 18, 2008

In my blog submission about Gilbert Kaplan's performance with the NYP, I took an unfortunate literary license with my statement " From Arturo T. to Zubin M., the admirers of this work can find solace in many recordings...."

It has been pointed out to me, more times than once, that Arturo Toscanini never recorded Mahler's Symphony No. 2. With further research, I have found this fact to be true as well.

I apologize if the statement is misleading. My intent was to illustrate that one can find many wonderful recordings of this symphony by conductors from "A to Z."

When you're wrong, you're wrong. My thanks to the folks who left comments pointing this out.

My entry would have been better served if I had used "from Abbado to Zinman." (Before you run to your browser to check: they both have recorded the symphony.)

I thought of some alternate titles for my essay about Kaplan's appearance with the New York Philharmonic. One could have been, "Tis the season for bailouts: the Philharmonic hands one to Kaplan" or how about "When starting together and ending together just isn't good enough."

Of course, I could have just jumped up from my chair during the performance and thrown a shoe toward the podium. (Holy Hush Puppies, Batman!)

December 15, 2008

I
enjoy collecting movies on DVD. One of my favorites is the feature movie “Catch
Me If You Can.” It is a true story from the 1960’s, of a young man, Frank
Abagnale played by Leonardo Dicaprio, who manages to impersonate a doctor, a
lawyer, an airline pilot and in the process also becomes a masterful
counterfeiter. His expertise in the latter allows him to cash bad checks in
excess of four million dollars. FBI agent, Carl Hanratty, portrayed by no less
than Tom Hanks, chases him throughout the world. Of course, the Feds get their
man and our protagonist turns his talents to helping law enforcement to catch
similar crooks and thieves. In the end, the villain is repentant and the public
and law officials are left somewhat less naive. A happy ending of sorts.

Impersonators,
alas, still seem to rise to the surface. I contend that the story of another
impersonator is continuing to be written. It is the story of Gilbert Kaplan.
Mr. Kaplan is a self-professed scholar and conductor of Mahler’s great second
symphony, TheResurrection.
While admittedly, I may be stretching the comparison beyond the breaking point,
Mr. Kaplan and Frank Abagnale are and were, in my opinion, both impostors.

I have
come to this conclusion from first hand experience. On December 8, 2008, Mr.
Kaplan took the podium in front of the New York Philharmonic. My colleagues and
I gave what we could to this rudderless performance but the evening proved to
be nothing more than a simplistic reading of a very wonderful piece of music.

There
can be no other conclusion. To say that it was something more is to be ignorant
of the many truly inspired performances under the batons of some of the world’s
great conductors. This masterpiece has had a century of interpretations that
have delved into all aspects of Mr. Mahler’s brilliant score. The list of
quality performances led by professional conductors is long. From Arturo T. to
Zubin M., the admirers of this work can find solace in many recordings that
contain true passion and an understanding of the symphony.

Having
not previously heard either of Mr. Kaplan’s two recordings of the symphony, nor
having seen him conduct, I came to our rehearsals with an open mind. My initial
impression was that Mr. Kaplan displays an arrogance and self-delusion that is
off-putting. As a conductor, he can best be described as a very poor beater of
time who far too often is unable to keep the ensemble together and allows most
tempo transitions to fall where they may. His direction lacks few indications
of dynamic control or balance and there is absolutely no attempt to give
phrases any requisite shape.In
rehearsal, he admitted to our orchestra that he is not capable of keeping a
steady tempo and that he would have to depend on us for any stability in that
department. Considering his Everest-sized ego, this admission must have caused
him great consternation upon reflection. Mahler’s wonderful use of the off
stage brass in the fifth movement gave Kaplan much tribulation. One would think
that after more than fifty performances of the work, even the most plebeian of
conductors would have some understanding of how to bring together musicians
that are separated by great distance. In the performance, these haunting
moments of the symphony slipped away like some wayward musical slinky.

I have
to take extreme exception to the many reviews I have read of his performances.
Some critics have written that he brings the finest details of the work to the
surface. If his past performances were anything like ours, Mr. Kaplan excels in
ignoring the blizzard of Mahler's performance direction.

Yet,
he sold out the house. “Or should I say, Mahler sold out the house?” It seems
that this work, regardless of whoever takes the podium, never fails to attract
a large audience, an obvious testimony to the strength of the composition. Mr.
Kaplan’s attempts seem to embody the proof that a mediocre performance is still
worth the price of admission. But do most audience members, and seemingly most
critics for that matter, really understand that he comes to the podium unable
to bring to the surface any of Mahler's darkness, pensiveness, and
schizophrenia?

Members
of symphony orchestras truly have an unfair advantage over their audience. The
musicians sit through countless rehearsals of a composition and are able to
witness the culmination of careful, skillful study of a score combined with the
conductor’s ability to communicate his or her ideas clearly. At its best, the
preparation of any great composition for concert should always be a profound,
intimate and introspective journey shared between the interpreter and the
instrumentalist. This is the intent of the composer and should never be
compromised. When musicians are denied that journey, they feel cheated,
marginalized and estranged from what they hold so dear.

Mr.
Kaplan and his assault on conducting leave many musicians angry, bewildered and
befuddled. I submit that Mr. Kaplan has succeeded in drawing an audience
because of the wide popularity of Mahler’s great symphony and our culture’s
intrinsic want to see someone break down barriers that have remained seemingly
impenetrable. The Cinderella story is one of our favorites; Arnold
Schwarzenegger is just one such case. This Hollywood movie idol pushed aside
many "professional" politicians to become governor of one of the
largest states of our country. The actor Ronald Reagan, the golfer Bobby Jones,
the starlet discovered in a coffee shop, the prizefighter who sends the
reigning champ to the mat, the American hockey team beating the Russians in the
Olympics in 1980 and, of course, David and Goliath - the list could go on and
on with underdogs or amateurs who have "beat the odds". More
recently, John McCain and Sarah Palin would have liked to join the ranks of famous
long shots but, alas, the collective wisdom deemed them unqualified. All
professions have their way of culling the crowd.

But
the Kaplan/Mahler Symphony No. 2 myth has a different twist. There is no giant
to push aside. No champion to dethrone. Mr. Kaplan did not have to beat,
win or even draw any gold medalist. With careful marketing, money and
influence, this no-talent, self-proclaimed Mahler expert has made his way to
the front of many of the world's leading orchestras relying totally on their
collective talents and experience to pad his conducting résumé. Orchestra
management after orchestra management has been complicit in perpetuating his
woefully sad farce. At the end of the day, his worth to classical music has
been totally overstated.

A word
to all musicians: I maintain that we must take some of the responsibility in
the blame for this predicament.

All
artists must educate their audiences and their managements. We have failed to
convince the powers that be how important it is always to put the most
qualified conductors on the rostrum. If this had been clear to the managements
of symphony orchestras, this man, regardless of how much money he is willing to
throw at our feet, would never have taken a step on what should be hallowed
ground. We owe it to ourselves, our public, and in this case, Mr. Mahler.

Much has
been written about Mr. Kaplan’s passion for Mahler’s great symphony as if this
emotion is unique to him. This assertion is an insult to all professional
musicians who have dedicated their entire lives and have sacrificed much toward
the preservation of all the great works of history’s finest composers. His
continued appearances are also an affront to all “real” conductors who have
toiled relentlessly for the recognition they duly deserve.

In
conclusion, there is no Carl Hanratty who will scour the planet to save us and
the public from another fraudulent performance of this masterpiece and it is
unlikely that we will ever witness a repentant Mr. Kaplan. We can rely only on
ourselves to stand firm against any attempts to promote this imposter. In the
end, we will need help to catch him if we can.